Rust Monster
Most fighters would rather face an army of Orcs than a lone Rust Monster. These creatures corrode and eat metal objects and have ruined the armor, shields, and weapons of countless adventurers. The typical rust monster measures five feet long and three feet high, weighing two-hundred pounds. Its squat body is protected by a thick hide that varies in color from a yellowish tan underside to a rust-red upper back. A rust monster’s two prehensile antennae, beneath each eye, can rust metals on contact, it then causes causes the target metal to corrode, falling to pieces and becoming useless immediately. Its tail is covered by armor plates and ends in a bony projection that looks like a double-ended paddle. A rust monster can smell a metal object from up to ninety feet away. When it detects one, it dashes toward the source and attempts to strike it with its antennae. The creature is relentless, chasing characters over long distances if they still possess intact metal objects but usually ceasing its attacks to devour a freshly rusted meal. A clever (or desperate) adventurer can often distract a hungry rust monster by tossing it some metal objects, then fleeing while it consumes them. The creature targets the largest metal object available, striking first at armor, then at shields and smaller items. The time it takes for different sized metals to rust is identical, a suit of armor rusts at the same rate as a sword was. It prefers ferrous metals (steel or iron) over precious metals (such as gold or silver) but will devour the latter if given the opportunity. These creatures have been known to range the length and breadth of an underground complex, searching for supplies of metal. Though it will eat raw ore, a rust monster always prefers the refined, forged metal (just as a human would prefer fresh, filtered water over swamp water). Although rust monsters use their antennae to rust metal, when feeding or in combat if a metal object or weapon touches any part of their body is also corrodes immediately. If it was a metal weapon it still damages the creature, but instantly corrodes itself. Rust Monsters have no control over their rusting abilities because of the bacteria that lives within their bodies, it is constantly coating the hide of the rust monster to give it protection and to allow it eat the metals that it needs. These bacteria live in the blood of the rust monster. Several magic practitioners have attempted to bottle the blood of a rust monster in order to create a potion for rusting and dissolving enemy armor and weaponry, however it has recently been proven that the bacteria die immediately after removal from the rust monsters body. Wooden, stone, and other nonmetallic weapons are unaffected by the bateria. Magical artifacts made of metal are largely immune to the effects of a Rust Monsters, but enchanted metals are not. Rust Monsters dwell only in dark, subterranean places such as caverns and underground structures, which resulted in them developing Darkvision. They are not disposed to groups; often a lair comprises one or two rust monsters, with a five-percent chance of encountering a single offspring, which acts as a half-strength rust monster with a full-strength appetite. However, because eventually they would eat all of the metal in their subterranean homes, and provided no new adventurers would venture into one a Rust Monster would travel out at dark times in order to search for food. The rust monster has an ability to locate its lair, unless it is too far away then its ability changes to allow it to find a subterranean location. These abilities are an adjustment on its enhanced smell, causing it to act as a homing instinct. Rust monsters help in removing metallic junk and clutter from underground fastnesses. In fact, it is not unusual to find a rust monster and a Carrion Crawler working in a symbiotic relationship, with the latter eating the organic litter and the former consuming the metal cast-offs. Rust Monsters are related to the species known as Manavore. Category:Magical Creatures Category:Species and Races